<![CDATA[BENGALURU: The state government's decision to do away with the orderly system where police constables are deputed for menial jobs in the households of senior officers may appear path-breaking. But read between the lines and the message is clear: This legacy from the British Raj, where senior officers have glorified house servants, will continue, albeit in another guise. The only saving grace is that 500-600 policemen deployed as orderlies will be repatriated to the department where they'll execute core duties. However, the uniformed men at the households of police officers will be replaced by a group of non-uniformed people, essentially Group D staff. Known as dalayats (followers), they'll continue to open the doors of police officer's homes, besides doing all other petty jobs. According to official sources, a cadre of men currently working as peons and cooks in City Armed Reserve, District Armed Reserve and Karnataka State Reserve Police will be sent to work as followers or dalayats at the residences of senior police officers. Besides, there's no clarity on whether the decision to do away with the orderly system also includes the system of deputing policemen to the houses of ministers and judges, among other VIPs. Though designated as gunmen, they do everything but wield the gun. Many serving mid-level officers aren't happy with the orderly system reappearing in a new garb. Why should government appointees do domestic chores in houses of officers and ministers, they wonder. Most progressive police departments across the world, including the UK, do not follow a system of deploying staffers for menial jobs at officers' houses.]]>
